Spirit of the Eagle – January 2014

Rector’s Reflections
December is such a busy time for all of us here at St. John’s in preparing for several special services, as well as all the holiday preparations we have to do in our personal lives. January is a welcome respite from December’s busy schedule, as there is only one big holiday, Epiphany, yet it happens so close to Christmas and New Year’s it tends to blend together with them.

At the parish level, there are no special events on tap, but while we can welcome a less hectic pace in our activities, January is not the time to let our religious life go to sleep. The changes we hopefully made during Advent; regular Bible reading, daily prayer, and contemplation should carry us through this month when the weather is so dreary. Instead of being overcome with ‘cabin fever’ because weather has trapped us in our homes, we should use this valuable time to continue to connect with our faith and with Our Lord. Resist the temptation to turn on the TV or browse the internet, instead pick up your Bible and read it. I suggest starting with the Psalms or Proverbs in the Old Testament and the Gospel of St. John in the New Testament. I think you will find it a very valuable way to spend your time. God Bless.
+++Fr. Bryan Newman+++

Wednesday Night Service
Our Wednesday night, Holy Communion service is an excellent way to rejuvenate our spirits as we face the balance of our week. There is nothing quite like taking a pause from the daily grind at mid-week to refresh ourselves by receiving our ‘spiritual food for our spiritual journey’. I want to encourage all of you who have made the effort to attend Wednesday services, as it is just the kind of boost you need to complete your week. In January we will be celebrating the Epiphany, St. Anthony, the Conversion of St. Paul, and Blessed Charles Stuart on the last Wednesday of the month. I hope to see you all there!

Choir Practice and Services
We have a small dedicated group that works diligently to make a joyful noise unto the Lord, won’t you consider singing with them? Practice is every Wednesday at 7 pm. As always we need more choir members and if you would like to help us make a joyful noise unto the Lord we would love to have you join the Choir!

Vestry Meeting
Our Vestry Meeting for January will be on Wednesday, the 15th, at 7:00 PM. If you are a member of the Vestry please make plans to be present. At our last meeting we bid adieu to the Vestry members who were leaving and thanked them for their service: Elizabeth Robbins, Mike Lenz, Jim Barnett. At January’s meeting we will welcome our newest members, Edie Brady, Judie Boughner, Rick Hanson, Mike Whalen. All are welcome.

The Flight of the Eagle

It was Fr. Stork (of fond memory to many in this Parish), who shared a record of his activities with the Parish on a regular basis. It is in his honor and inspiration that we include the ‘Flight of the Eagle’ which is a record of my activities as your pastor over the month just past. Below are the visits and other events I made in the month of December. Unfortunately, I was fighting off an upper respiratory infection during the first part of the month, so that limited my visits, but I managed to squeeze a few in. I prayed with those I visited and gave them Holy Communion and Anointed them when needed.

12/15 visited Dom Benedict @ Rosedale Green
12/17 visited Robert Hooks @ St. E’s Edgewood
12/22 visited Helen Foster @ Baptist Towers
12/22 visited Ethel Fahlbush @ Villa Springs
12/29 visited Jim & Toy Hall @ their home

Spiritual Tidbits for January from Father Tim
Blessed William Laud, B.M., Feast Day 16th of January.

Born into modest surroundings in Reading, William Laud, one of the Anglican High Church Caroline Divines, became a leading hate figure for Puritans during the 1630s and 1640s. His determination to promote and enforce a ‘high church’ style of worship created many enemies and contributed to his downfall. Laud was executed following an Act of Attainder in January 1645.

Although he had served James VI/I as chaplain on his visit to Scotland, Laud’s career took off following Charles’ ascension in 1625. Appointed Bishop of London in 1628, he was also elected Chancellor of Oxford in 1630 and used his influence to turn the city into a Royalist stronghold. However, it was in his role as Archbishop of Canterbury- England’s senior churchman- that Laud really incurred the Puritans’ wrath. Laud saw the Anglican Church as part of the Universal church and preferred forms of worship which emphasized the priest’s special intermediary role, a view which brought him into conflict with those who believed in a priesthood of all believers and rejected anything which lacked biblical justification.

Using the Courts of High Commission and Star Chamber to enforce his beliefs, Laud removed theological opponents from church posts and persecuted those who encouraged nonconformity. It was on Laud’s orders that Prynne, Burton and Bastwick were mutilated for publishing Puritan attacks on the Laudian church. Laud’s episcopalianism was viewed by critics as an essential complement to Charles’ political absolutism (Divine Right of Kings), so Laud was opposed by critics on both political and religious grounds. As soon as the opportunity presented itself, his enemies went on the offensive.

In December 1640, he was impeached on a charge of treason and detained in the Tower of London. The Lords acquitted him in 1644 but, in the midst of war, the Commons moved an Act of Attainder which they forced the Lords to pass. Laud was beheaded on 10th January, 1645.

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Happy New Year! 2013 is now a part of history and Epiphany-tide is here! Our choices, decisions, and creations for that year have taken their place in the River of Time, where they will be available only to God Almighty on the Last Day. When you think of the previous year in these terms, if you are like me, there are probably a few things you would like to swim back upstream and change. Alas, God did not design Creation in this manner, presumably for our own good.

The river freezes behind us, unassailable by mankind. We are to take our experiences learned in 2013 and now look, choose, decide, and create forward into 2014. Let us pray each week for God to give us increased wisdom in 2014 so to make the best choices, decisions, and creations and fulfill God’s holy will. Thus hopefully and thankfully, fulfilling God’s will, the River of Time will deposit each of us upon the shore of Paradise. ~ Father Tim

•••

“Experience is a brutal teacher, but you learn. My God, do you learn.” C.S. Lewis

January Spirituality Class
Well Janet, in her usual sensitive method of delivering the truth, told me my December class bored her and everyone else to tears. Lord, I am a blessed husband to have such a subtle wife. Thus my apologies for the lack of preparation, as the wedding dominated all my extra time (plus a couple funerals thrown in). I promise to do better this month!

Please join us on the 26th of January as we continue the class study of “Doing the Right Thing”, a six part exploration of Ethics. This class we will watch “Ethics in the Marketplace” & “Ethics in Public Life”, the final two 30 minute thought provoking DVD sessions and discuss each one in depth. Doing the Right Thing explores the moral breakdown affecting culture from all sides, and how a lack of Ethics drains our Spirituality. The series raises ethical issues in a compelling and fresh way, through panel discussions, interviews, and student questions. The six video sessions and workbook encourage participants to examine how ethical issues relate to all aspects of their lives. Panelists and guests include Chuck Colson, Robert George, Alveda King, Ben Stein, Brit Hume, Donovan Campbell, Dr. Ken Swan, and many others. I hope to see you in class in October. Be sure to bring any teenagers in your family as well – this is a must see for them! And bring a friend!!! ~ Father Tim

•••

Enjoy the blessings of this day, if God sends them, and the evils of it bear patiently and sweetly; for this day is only ours: we are dead to yesterday, and we are not yet born to the morrow. He, therefore, that enjoys the present, if it be good, enjoys as much as is possible; and if only that day’s trouble leans upon him, it is singular and finite. “Sufficient to the day (said Christ) is the evil thereof:” sufficient, but not intolerable.

Rev. Jeremy Taylor, 15 Aug. 1613 – 13 Aug. 1667, Cleric in the Anglican Church known as the “Shakespeare of Divines”.

•••

The Butler family would like to express its warm gratitude to all of Saint John’s who visited our home during our Christmastide Open House. The food and gifts you brought were presented with a love springing forth from the holy Christmas spirit. The fellowship and fun was wonderful. In the beautiful words from Charles Dickens beloved Tiny Tim Cratchit in A Christmas Carol, “God bless us, everyone!” ~ Father Tim

•••

What is the purpose of the Incarnation of the Divine Logos which is proclaimed throughout the Scriptures, about which we read and which yet we do not recognize? Surely it is that He has shared in what is ours so as to make us participants of what is His. For the Son of God became the Son of man in order to make us human beings sons of God, raising us up by grace to what He is by nature, giving us a new birth in the Holy Spirit and leading us directly into the kingdom of heaven. Or, rather, He gives us the grace to possess this kingdom within ourselves (cf. Luke 17:21), so that not merely do we hope to enter it but, being in full possession of it, we can affirm: “Our life is hid with Christ in God” (Col. 3:3). St. Symeon the New Theologian, Practical And Theological Texts, 108.

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In 2014, let the family of St. John’s show the world how we allow Christ to lead us directly into the kingdom of Heaven. God bless you! ~ Father Tim

January Birthdays & Anniversaries
Margo Nienaber – Birthday – January 1
Edie Brady – Birthday – January 2
Tina Smith – Birthday – January 7
Kelsey Robbins – Birthday – January 8
Eileen Hanson – Birthday – January 14
Odious Hickman Jr. – Birthday – January 16
Lillian & Jesse Cornish – Birthday – January 18
Adam Cook – Birthday – January 20
Susan Moore – Birthday – January 20
Kim Marshall – Birthday – January 24
Chris Murray – Birthday – January 24
Devan Smith – Birthday – January 25
Katie Longshore – Birthday – January 28
Samantha Longshore – Birthday – January 29
Kathy Hougham – Birthday – January 31

2013 Holiday Outreach
Thank you to everyone who contributed to the success of the St. John Annual Holiday Outreach project this year. Thanks for your food contributions, Christmas gift contributions and your time contributions in delivering the items to the families in need. Hopefully our efforts made a small difference in the lives of these families in the most holiest season. At left is a photo of the non-perishable food items for Christmas prior to packing.

End of the Month Club
The End of the Month Club will meet on January 24 at Strong’s Pizzeria, Monmouth Street, Newport at 1:00 pm. This is the pizza place owned by Brenda Strong’s relatives, who made the delicious pizzas for St Nicholas’ visit. Call for rides.

Those Who Wait Upon the Lord…
After starting a new diet, I altered my drive to work to avoid passing my favorite bakery. I accidentally drove by the bakery this morning and as I approached, there in the window were a host of goodies.
I felt this was no accident, so I prayed … “Lord, it’s up to you, if you want me to have any of those delicious goodies, please create a parking place for me directly in front of the bakery.”

And sure enough, on the eighth time around the block, there it was! God is so Good!